Improvement in car-roofs



H. AL RIDGBQY Gar Roof No.198,177. Patented Dec. 18,1877

UN TED STATESPATENT, QFFICE.

HIRAM-ALDRIDGE, or ST. Louis, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB o 1). L. SKIDMORE, orSAME PLAOE,AND FRANK o. ALDRIDGE, or BATESBURG, s. o.

V-IMPAROVEMENT IN CAR-ROOFS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,177, dated December18, 1877; application filed August 3, 1877. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that HIRAM ALDRIDGE, of the city and county of St. Louis,and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Car Roofs; and- I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

. clear, and exact description thereof, reference board and ridge-beamsare clamped togethen.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section in the center line of theridge of a car. Fig. 4 is a Frtical lon gitudinal section in the line a:w of The nature of my invention consists in certain constructions,combinations, and arrange-- ments of parts, hereinafter fully describedand specifically claimed, whereby a double carroof of wood or othersuitable material is produced, the inner roof of which receives anddischarges the leakage-water of the outer roof at the sides of the car,and the inner and outer roofs of which are so ventilated as to preventrain or snow from getting between them, and permit free access ofatmospheric air between them.

In the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the body of a car; a, theupper girders, and b the rafters of the roof. The rafters may beconnected by longitudinal bars a, which assist in supporting the insideroof B, which consists of boards 6, with plain or corrugated uppersurfaces. These boards maybe matched or tongued and grooved, and mayabut at the ridge of the car, or, what is better, may be inserted into astep, 11 or a slot in the upper ridge-piece C, while the lowerridge-piece or bar D of the car supports both of said pieces from below.The lower ends of the boards are fastened to the girders b, and are justlong enough to cover the ends of the Weatherboards of the car.

Around the upper extremity of the car an auxiliary frame, E, isprovided, which is fastened thereto by means of screws or other meanspassed through the frame and interposed blocks 6. The said blocks e arearranged on the inner side of the frame, between it and the side of thecar, so as to form a number of open spaces, 6. above the inner roof B,and serves, in conjunction with the ridge-piece O, as the support of theouter or upper roof F, which is made of The said frame E projectsfastened to the frame E by means of screws or nails, while theridge-board G is clamped upon it by means of screw-bolts g, whichpassthrough the ridge-board G, ridge-pieces O and l), and the rafters b, andfirmly unite them together.

The atmospheric air enters the space m between the two roofs B and F bymeans of the spaces 6, between the blocks a, the car-body A, and theauxiliary frame E; and while this is the case the frame E prevents rainor snow from being blown in directly between the roofs B and F. p

The leakage-water of the upper roof F drops down upon the lower roof B,whence it is conducted by means of the corrugations therein to theeaves, and through the spaces 6' down to the ground.

The advantage of my construction over the old construction of doubleroofs is this: The ventilation afforded between the upper and lowerroofs prevents rot, and renders the roofs as durable as the car-body. Inthe old construction the double'roof is made by fastening one layer ofboards closely upon the other.

The upper layer soon becomes leaky by reason of exposure, and theleakage-water enters the leaks and the joint between the two layers ofboards, where it remains and creates mildew and rot, which destroy theroof so fast that it often does not last as long as the single roof.Such roofs generally leak after being in use and subjected to exposurebut a short time, and cannot as easily be prevented from leaking as asingle roof.

The double roof of old construction can only be repaired by tearing up aportion of both layers of boards, which are thereby rendered unfit forfurther use, and have to be thrown away, while in my improved roof itsupper layer of boards can be removed and repaired without disturbing thelower layer, and the same can be replaced with less expense and withoutdamage to any portion of the roof.

The lower roof very seldom requires any repair, as it is not exposed tothe weather, nor to inner dampness between the two layers of boards; butif there is any necessity for repair one ortwo boards of the upper roofmay easily be removed by loosening the bolts g, and lessening the graspor pressure of the ridgepieces 0 and D and. ridge-board G upon thehigher ends of both roofs, after which the screws at their lower endsare removed, and the boards f and bmay be removed or replaced atpleasure.

The steps or grooves 11 at the edges ofthe ridge piece 0 serve thedouble purpose of avoiding the expense of extra means, such as nails andscrews, for fastening the upper ends of the boards b-,'and theconsequent piercingof the boards; and a. great saving of material iseffected by being able to useshorter boards, which do not require toabut at the ridge.

In Fig. 5 I have shown amodification of the .boards b of the inner roofB, wherein chanl. A car or other vehicle having an inner roof, 13,formed of laterally adjoined or matched pieces running from the eaves tothe ridgepiece, and fastened directly to its body, and an outer roof, F,formed of laterally adjoined or matched pieces running from the eaves tothe ridge-Piece, and fastened to. t e ridge .0

of the roof- B, and to a frame, E, fastened around the upper part of thecar-body, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination of a weather-roof and a and the ridge-pieces O D,ridge-board G, and

bolts 9, whereby the roofs are kept separated,

and upper ends of the said roofs are fastened" and held in position,substantiallyas described.

4. In a car or other vehicle, the combination of the roof-piecesf and band the ridgepiece 0, having under steps or grooves b substantially asset forth.

Witness my hand in the matter of my application for a patent on acar-roof this 28th day of July, 1877. 1 v

HIRAM ALDRIDGE. Witnesses:

Gno. P. STRONG,

ANTON STUG ER. v

